Tēnā koutou katoa
I hope everyone had a relaxing Matariki on 28 June and that you were able to meet up with family and friends and embrace the spirit of Matariki in whatever way felt appropriate for you. With the school holidays in July, it’s been wonderful to see grandchildren in our villages having quality time with their grandparents, and hearing stories of all the delicious baking! This month has also marked the seventh anniversary of the start of Haumaru Housing’s services to older Aucklanders.
The team’s current focus is setting our goals for the next twelve months. We’ve also been preparing a report on our environmental sustainability initiatives; this includes looking at how much carbon we’ve saved by driving less, decreasing our paper consumption by printing less, and reducing our volume of waste by sending our soft plastics for recycling and diverting food waste for the food scraps collection service.
From 1 August 2024, a company called NZF will take over the role of lead contractor for our planned and reactive maintenance. NZF already work for us on smaller projects, but you’ll notice more of their staff around in their branded uniforms from now on.
With mid-winter upon us, I do encourage all tenants to focus on ventilation in their homes. Drying clothes in your unit in winter with no windows open can lead to excess moisture build-up and this can result in health complications. Haumaru supplies washing lines and, in many villages, there are laundries with dryers, too, (see our article below).
Ngā mihi
Gillian Schweizer,
Chief Executive Officer
Welcome to Albert Village
Tenants of Pukekohe’s Albert Village enjoyed a sausage sizzle in the wonderful winter sunshine during their village meeting on 10 July. Located within walking distance of shops, the town centre and a bus stop, this vibrant village consists of 30 units, with a mix of both long-standing and newer residents. Everyone is very neighbourly to one another and always ready to help, which makes for a warm and welcoming atmosphere round the village. Tenants also particularly enjoy the various minivan outings and day trips that are organised by the Haumaru team to places of interest.
In the last two years, the village has benefited from the completion of work on roofs and gutters, as well as painting and upgrading of its eight laundries and many other smaller projects – further adding to Albert Village’s thriving, safe and age-friendly community.
Minivan trips revamp
As of 1 July, the Haumaru Service Desk team - Dee and new staff member Louise - are delighted to be managing the minivan trip sand outings for tenants (having taken over the role from the Selwyn Community team).
Encouraging tenants to book for forthcoming trips, Dee says: ‘Our weekly trips are an opportunity for tenants to venture out and tour around Auckland and other locations. Why not spend some quality time taking in the beautiful sceneries or make the most of the chance to mix and mingle with other tenants while being chauffeured by the friendly drivers. We’ll have new destinations for you to choose from, as well as new-look flyers outlining the various options which we’ll send to you by email and post on your village noticeboard. We look forward to sharing more new and upcoming things for you to enjoy, so there are exciting times ahead!’
The team appreciates all tenant feedback and suggestions about the trips.
Do call them on 0800 430 101 to book your place for anywhere you might like to go, as places are limited and are on a first come, first served basis.
Improving our service to you
Following our 2024 tenant satisfaction survey, we’ve been reviewing tenants’ feedback and would like to provide you with an update on some particular topics that were raised:
Communication: As we’ve moved towards becoming more ‘paper-free’, we’re looking at other ways of improving our communication to tenants (this might involve sending text messages, for example). We’ll provide more information on this as and when new initiatives are in the pipeline.
Healthy homes: To ensure tenants always have a warm, dry home, we’d like to remind everyone to use their heat pumps or heaters that were fitted as part of our ‘Healthy Homes’ programme. It’s also important to make sure that units are always well ventilated to prevent dampness and a build-up of mould.
Maintenance request response times: We’re implementing a change to the way we record maintenance request response times. This will ensure we address any delay efficiently and close off the job as speedily as possible. Tenants who log a job will continue to be asked about their satisfaction with both the job and the response time.
Please do continue sending us all your valuable feedback and suggestions on how we can improve our service to you further.
News in brief
• From 31 July, changes to the Personal Income Tax thresholds mean some people getting NZ Super and Veteran's Pension will get more in the hand if they're on 'M' tax code. This means the NZ Super and Veteran's Pension after-tax rate may increase by up to $4.30 a fortnight if you’re on 'M' tax code. There are no changes if you’re on the 'S' tax code. This change will happen automatically – you don't need to do anything. Your first payment with the new amount will be paid on 13 August.
• A new vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) for older adults is now available in New Zealand (private market only at this stage). Funding for the shingles vaccine was widened on 1 July to include a group of immunocompromised individuals. Speak to your GP or healthcare practitioner for further information.
• Look out for Age Concern’s new scam awareness campaign with ANZ bank, which brings back the popular ‘80s police drama ‘CHiPs’ to encourage all Kiwis to be ‘on patrol’ when it comes to scams. The campaign links to the ANZ Scam Academy which provides more information on recognising scams and frauds and taking action: www.anz.co.nz/banking-with-anz/banking-safely/scam-academy/
Ventilate for a healthy home
Mould is a common problem caused by the presence of too much moisture in poorly ventilated areas. The most common cause of excess moisture is condensation. A dry, well-ventilated unit is healthier for you, so to keep mould at bay:
• Wipe condensation off windows and walls.
• Open a window when cooking and keep lids on pots.
• During and after showering, ventilate the bathroom with a window or extractor fan if fitted.
• Keep the shower curtain hanging inside the shower or bath, so water doesn’t drip onto the floor (wash the shower curtain every few weeks to stop mould growing).
• Do not hang wet washing inside.
• Leave wardrobes slightly open for ventilation, and pull beds and furniture away from walls so they can breathe.
• Use your heat pump or heater (as fitted by Haumaru Housing). Unflued portable gas heaters should never be used, as they create a lot of moisture and dangerous gas build-up.
Remove mould as soon as it appears with white vinegar (diluted half and half with water if using on painted surfaces) or with diluted household bleach. Use a clean sponge/cloth and rinse it often to reduce the risk of the mould spreading; open windows while you clean.
If you’re concerned about an immediate threat to life or property, call the emergency services on 111.